This is the third in a three-article series about stress.  First, we looked at the sources and symptoms of stress then we looked at the physiology of stress.  Now we will explore ways to help your body cope with stress reduction techniques.

As I discussed in the previous two articles, our adrenal glands are in charge of producing hormones that help us cope with stress.  With chronic or repeated stress the adrenal glands can become quite worn out and will not be able to produce these hormones any longer.  The other outcome of chronic stress is elevated levels of hormones in your system that are only meant to be elevated for short periods of time.  In the long run, these hormones make you sick.  The best way to support the adrenal glands is maintaining a daily routine.  The adrenal glands LOVE this like you love your morning coffee.  Try to eat, sleep, exercise, work and study at the same time every day – even on the weekends.  I know!  Even on the weekends!

Stress reduction techniques to decrease your exposure to stress:

• Blood Sugar: Keeping blood sugar levels steady is very important.  Any internal fluctuation is a stress.  Any stress requires work from your adrenal glands.  Any work from your adrenal glands puts out hormones that if elevated for long periods of time can make you sick.  Have I mentioned this? Choose foods rich in fiber such as (a rainbow of) vegetables along with lean protein (poultry, deep-water, wild fish), and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil) at each meal to delay stomach emptying .  Try to eat every couple of hours.
• Stimulants: Sugar, coffee, caffeine and energy drinks are best avoided.  They act like little hijackers that try to take over your physiology.  The constant ups and downs are… guess what?  A big stress to your body as it tries to keep everything in balance.  So the things we do to give us energy actually create more work for our bodies and our poor, little, neglected adrenal glands. Once you improve the health of your adrenal glands you’ll never need another self-medicated pick-me-up.
• Food Allergies: Food allergies, in fact, any allergy is a stress to the body.  Ask your Naturopathic Doctor or licensed health practitioner to help you figure out what you’re allergic to so you can work towards better health.
• No: Learn to say it.  Practice with me.  “No”.  See?  That wasn’t so hard now was it?  Learn what your limits are.  Know when your plate is too full and practice graceful ways of saying no.  Your health is more important.
• Breaks: Take relaxation breaks.  Take personal health days off from work (whether you’re “sick” or are trying to prevent being so).

Stress reduction techniques to increase your stress threshold:

• Exercise Regularly: We all know we should do it and I can’t emphasize this enough.  Our bodies were designed to move.  Get active; pretend you’re running away from a saber-tooth tiger… otherwise the stress might eat you up!  Get your friends and family involved.  Exercise releases endorphins which are natural pain killers while it also improves your blood sugar control and your mood.
• Deep Breathing: Another thing we all know, however, most of us don’t breathe properly.  Since it happens automatically we don’t ever think about it.  Put a hand on your abdomen just above the navel and when you breathe in count to four and think about pushing the hand on your belly out with your breath.  Take four counts to breathe out.  Breathe this way 100 times per day – do it when you’re stuck in traffic, waiting at the bank or watching the ads at the theatre before the movie begins.  This is a simple fact: you don’t breathe, you die, and I’m dead serious about that.
• Play: Do something fun and try to laugh every day.  If it isn’t exercise (always try to get your exercise) then watch a funny movie, have a herbal tea date with a friend, stroll along the beach (if you’re lucky to live by one) or walk your dog.  Take time for yourself because you’ll never “find it.”
• Delta wave sleep/state: This is a very important state that your brain goes into when you are in deep, non-dreaming sleep.  It recharges our batteries by increasing a hormone called DHEA which helps us grow, detoxify, rejuvenate and restore our energy.  This is part of the reason sleep is so important.  There are even cd’s you can buy that help you get into a delta wave state.  Learn more about DHEA in my article on menopause relief.

The stress reduction techniques listed above are ideas of things you can do to help you decrease your exposure to stress and to help your body cope with the stress that it can’t avoid.  There are several herbs, vitamins and minerals that can help as well.  Talk to a health professional about specifics for you.

Naturopathic medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.

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Stress.  I know - we all attempt to live with it.  It’s practically unavoidable.  Perhaps you are unaware that your stress might be making you sick?

This is the first of a three-article series, in which I will cover stress in detail.  In this article, I’ll go over the symptoms of stress; how to know that you might be pushing too hard.  The next article will break down the physiology of stress and, lastly, I’ll cover simple stress reduction techniques.

Let’s start with a look at what stress actually is.  We generally think of stress as the daily “to do” list that only ever seems to get longer and never shorter.  It is stressful to fit everything into your day but stress often comes in other forms.  It is also tricky to define because everyone experiences stress differently.  What is stressful for you may be a wonderful experience for someone else.  According to my Mosby’s Medical Dictionary (5th ed. – yes… I did actually just pull a real book off the shelf!) stress is “ANY emotional, physical, social, economic or other factor that requires a response or change.”   Stress is a non-specific response that pushes your body to adapt.  Stress can be good or bad and sources can include:

• Environmental: weather, seasonal changes, noise, pollution, radiation (cell phones, computers, sunlight, electrical equipment, power lines, air travel, X-rays);

• Biological: viruses, bacteria, parasites, spirochetes;

• Psychological and social: performance stress (school, job, home), financial, emotional worry, relationship issues, lack of support network, unable to outlet your emotions;

• Physiological: nutritional deficiencies, biological aging, illness, surgery, trauma, toxicity, lack of sleep, dehydration, food allergies, air born allergies.

As you can see there are many forms of stress.   When stress is present for long periods you might experience some, or many, of the stress symptoms listed below:

1. General: low body temperature,  tense muscles, trouble falling or staying asleep, lacking energy in the mornings (need coffee or other stimulants), accelerated aging,  lacking energy, decreased ability to handle stress, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, low energy in the afternoon, tired at 9 pm but resist going to bed, decreased memory especially short term, increase REM (dreaming) sleep.
2. Emotional: feeling “stressed,” nervousness, general anxiety, anxiety attacks, mood swings, depression, feeling exhausted or “burnt out”.
3. Immune: immune suppression, chronic infections, frequent and recurrent infections, food and inhalant allergies, autoimmune diseases.
4. Cardiovascular: high or low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, heart palpitations, light headed or dizzy, especially after standing.
5. Metabolic: insulin resistance, obesity, tendency to gain weight, trouble losing weight especially around the waist, osteoporosis, hypoglycemia, crave salt, fat or sugar.
6. Digestive: gas, bloating, fullness, constipation, pain, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammation.
7. Reproductive: infertility, impotence, decreased libido, menopause, andropause, PMS, painful periods.

The effects of stress on the body are powerful and widespread.  Find out, in my second article of this series, how stress affects your body.  If you are experiencing a number of the symptoms of stress above, it might be a good idea to check with your Naturopathic or family doctor to determine how your stress level is affecting your health and what can be done about it.

Stay tuned for: “The Physiology of Stress – the Eye of the Tiger” and “Stress Reduction Techniques – Breath or Die and I’m Dead Serious“.

Naturopathic medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.

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